I opened TripAdvisor to write about the unique and fun experience I had at the Farm Cottage recently. I was surprised to read the one review. I did not find any of these issues as described. Perhaps the guest was unaccustomed to older homes. This house was spotless. Older homes like this one have charm and treasures of history that made us feel we were part of a wonderful era. Our hostess told us stories of the area and many homes that welcomed slaves during the “Underground Railroad” days. I know our hostess recently renovated the bathroom. There may have been an issue with heat in it but we were quite comfortable. I wonder if there was just a heat issue and this past guest never said anything to Manka. She is very accommodating and went out of her way to make sure we were comfortable. She uses hand embroidered all cotton sheets that she irons. Everything was crisp and clean. The agency that was mentioned gave us a lot of time and screened us to offer appropriate accommodations for us. It was well worth $25, knowing we did not end up in a dump in a bad neighborhood or get scammed by a fraudulent owner who requested we prepay by check and never confirm a legitimate reservation for us. Perhaps the reservation was completed on line without voice contact and the guest did not read the description carefully, concentrating on the very reasonable rate for Boston. Anyway, what I want to tell you is that, if you are watching your wallet and want to be in a convenient location for your needs in Boston or Brookline, and don’t mind sharing a bath, you will find staying here to be a wonderful experience.

For the price you pay, this is a decent stay. The location is quite good as it is within walking distance to the subway. It takes about 5-7 minutes to walk there and it is a safe district.
The website you book the B & B from requires you to pay $25 if this is your first time. That is a setback for sure but if this is the best you can get, then go for it.

The Farm Cottage is a very old house and the room we were in, was a little disappointing since the photo on the website made the room look a LOT nicer. That's photography for you.
The floor appears to be quite dirty so keep your shoes on. The big floor rug is were you don't want to step on. There is no heater on so bear the cold and of course no A/C.

The bathroom which is shared was the biggest nightmare for me. It's a bad idea to shower at night if you are not there during summer. The bathroom is huge but you shower in an antique bathtub. It is quite small but the main problem was not that. The main problem was the open window with only a barely-there blind that was located right there where you shower.

Even though the owner was very insistent that nobody will be able to see you naked with the perspective of things, I wasn't so sure and kept the window covered by a big towel which kept falling off while I showered. It was a good thing I did not rely on the owner for when I walked out the next day by a small lane beside the house, I could see that window in plain clear view and at night, the view was crystal clear.

They did not have a mixer tap in the bathroom so I had no idea how I was to wash my face when one tap on the left was hot and the tap on the right was cold. There was no way to mix the water unless you have a cup. Also, the hot tap gave out chalky water probably from the calcium build up over the years. I did not use the hot tap ever.

The bathroom is always cold especially at night because of its size and the lack of a working heater. Showering was pretty much a torture for me.

The breakfast was not bad. Bread was always provided and occasionally there was a treat of ham or quiche. Try not to use the cloth napkins for I found the same dirtied napkin on the table the next day and the days that followed. The bed was small but decent. I was a little sceptical about the cleanliness of the blanket though.

Overall I would've picked another place if the photo on the website did not look that good.